Why Do Testicles Hang Low Outside the Body?

4. May, 2011

At some point in their lives, most men will experience the searing pain associated with being struck in the testicles. While lying on the ground, curled up in agony, the man may wonder why on earth the testicles are located in such a vulnerable position. Why are the testes not located closer to, or even in, the body where they would be much safer from physical harm?

Testicles

The answer is quite simple, and is indeed the reason why the human race is able to propagate itself.

The testicles create and store sperm, the male reproductive cells needed to create a new human life. Sperm have some very specific requirements for survival – chief of which is maintaining the proper temperature. Normal human body temperature is too warm for sperm to survive in, so the testes hang away from the body which allows for air circulation to cool them to just the right temperature.

Of course, this does not always ensure that the temperature will be just right, so the body has another ingenious mechanism to ensure the right temperature is always maintained. If the outside temperature becomes intolerably cold, due to things like very cold weather or immersion in cold water, the testicles shrink back towards the body to gain the benefit of the extra warmth provided. Opposite of this is if the testicles are overly warm, due to being immersed in warm water for too long, bodily fever or just very warm air, the testicles will hang even lower to try to gain the benefit of extra air flow.

Thanks to these mechanics, the sperm located in the testes can continue to thrive until they are needed to help increase the human species.

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